Chinese workers get a smaller slice of their country's output than almost anyone else on earth, a sign that ordinary people see little of China's wealth — bad for Chinese households, and awkward for Beijing's claim to speak for Taiwan.

• Wages add up to just 8% of China's total economic output, the lowest share in the world.
• Rich countries pay out 50-60%, Latin America about a third, and even poor African countries roughly 20%.
• Taiwan sits near 43%, close to South Korea, meaning Taiwanese workers keep five times more of the pie.
• The missing money goes to state investment, defense, overseas expansion, local governments, and official corruption.
• Lifting China's share to Thailand's level would hand every citizen roughly an extra 2,000 yuan a month.

Outlook: Nothing suggests Beijing plans to shift money toward households anytime soon, so the gap with Taiwan will stay wide and keep fueling doubts about the "socialist" label.